Documentary analysis

Documentary Textual Analysis

The clip I have chosen to textually analyse is a clip from the documentary “Hidden Lives - The man who’s arms exploded”, the story of Greg Valentino and fellow bodybuilders who pushed steroid abuse to disgusting levels.
The clip begins with both zooms in and out of Valentino showing his arms, before a narrator comes in, this clip is used first most likely to shock the audience to make them want to watch more, and show how extreme the content of the documentary, also by showing Valentino from a video camera’s video this helps create a secured feeling to the audience that what they are witnessing is reality, as it would be less likely to be hoaxed if it was filmed on what we presume is a hand held camera (this is indicated by the date in the bottom right hand corner of the screen).
A narrator is then introduced with non digetic music, the narration helps explain what the content of the documentary will be and the music is tense which creates a dark feel, possibly due to the documentary being about freak body morphing and the scary side effects that can take place.
As the characters are introduced fade’s are used whilst the music plays, so the music not only works towards creating a dark feeling, but as a sound bridge, so the audience knows that as these different characters associated with the world of steroids are only being introduced and not begging their own section of the documentary.
Along with music, and commentary from not only the narrator, but those who use, have used and plan on using steroids, sound effects are also used in conjunction with the juxtaposed males on the screen, these sound effects can be the bubbling of blood in a needle to the shaking of tablets that are in a bottle, thus all creating verisimilitude and an understanding of what drugs these men are associated with.
The clip represents gender too, as these characters are introduced, not only are they all male, but also juxtaposed with one another on their masculinity, Valentino being introduced first announcing himself as having the biggest arms in the world, thus in an extremely hegemonic masculine fashion of boasting, this concept of masculinity being linked into muscle size links in with the theme of male body modification and the changing in male body image over time, which the documentary is about.
The choice of props and set (Mise en scene) work well with what he is proposing when boasting, having him being filmed in a gym, surrounded by weights and wearing a gym t-shirt all help work towards his image of being a muscle freak.
Close ups are used quite frequently in the clip of the documentary I have chosen, the close ups generally of the interviewees face, to show emotion and possibly even to make the character look bigger, when looking at the topic of the documentary.
A feature of editing used throughout the clip is using a transition which uses a sound bridge also and quickly showing images of drugs, this helps cut from one clip to another and create the uneasy feel that surrounds the topic of interest.
The later interview with Valentino at what we presume is in his house has possibly had the setting purposely set out the way it has been (Mediated), in the background clothes are left messily with weights on the floor, almost in the style of what a teenage boys (I.e. the one featured earlier in the clip who aspires to be like Greg) would be; this could be to help represent Greg as a typical hegemonic male, who’s interests would be mainly focused on male things (muscles in this case) and not on whether or not his house is tidy.
Before the 5 minute section of the clip I have chosen ends a second bodybuilder is introduced who talks about his training regime, the use of the narrator and anchorage helps us understand that he is a bodybuilder and how intense his lifestyle is, as the audience may not know without this due to him wearing a tracksuit which covers most of his body, a location is used, due to it being a documentary a set obviously cant be used.
Overall, I think the clip represents 2 things quite critically and extreme; the first being the sport of bodybuilding which is presented to the audience as a very intense lifestyle, rather than a sport, and also that competitors are seemingly unable to compete without the help of performance enhancing drugs, and the second thing being masculinity and the body image that comes with it; that muscles are crucial to being male and gaining the respect of other males.